Positionsandshifting

ShiftingandplayinginhigherpositionsonthefingerboardisanimportanttechniqueforstudyingVolume4pieces.
Violinistsmustlearntoreachhighnotesaccuratelyandplaymelodiclinesmusicallyinotherpositions.Although
thereissomeshiftinginVolume3,fromVolume4onwardseverypieceuseshigherpositions.
Playingmusicseamlesslyacrossdifferentpositionsrequirestwobasicskills:
1. Shiftingaccuratelyandquicklybetweenpositions;
2. Formingaclearmentalmapofthenotesalloverthefingerboard.
Howtopractiseaccurateshifting
Asimplesamefingershiftfromalowerpositiontoahigheroneinvolvesthreeactions:
Lift releasepressureonthefingeryouareshiftingon andthethumb;
Shift slidelightlyupthestringtothetargetnote(listeningcarefullytohearwhenyou'vereachedyour
destination) thumbslidesupsimultaneously;
Drop onthenotewhenyouhavearrived.
Here'sanexercisetogetstarted.PractiseonAstringasshownbelow,from1stto3rdposition.Beforeshifting,
playthetwonotes,BandDaccuratelyin1stposition.Shiftsmoothlywithouthurrying.

liftand lightly slide;drop

Check:didyourfingerandthumbslidesmoothly?
NowshiftononefingerthroughpositionsIItoVIII,listeningeachtimeforthetargetnote.Playslowlyandcarefully
withoutslidingbeyondthetargetnote.

Differentkindsofshifts
Shiftingoftenrequiresyoutoarriveonadifferentfinger,e.g.shiftingfromFtoahighDattheendofthefirstpage
The music - positions and shifting p1

ofVivaldi'sAminorconcerto(1stmovement).
Inthisexample,firstfingeractsasaguide,movingfromFtoA(3rdposition)before4thfingerisplacedonD.
slidelightlyon1stfingertoA,thenplace4thonD(3rdposition)

1
afterarrival,keep1stdowntoanchorposition
Eventually1stfinger'sslidefromFtoAmustbepracticallyinaudible.1stfingerstaysdown,anchoringtheposition
whileyouplaytherundowntoE.
Thiskindofsimpleshift onthelowerfinger iscalleda classicalshift.
Youcanachieveadifferentmusicaleffectbyshiftingontheupperfinger aromanticshift.Inthesekindsofshifts
thereisanaudibleconnectionbetweenthenotes.Theviolin'sentryinMonti'sCzardasisplayedontheGstring
witharomanticshiftfordramaticeffect.
slideon4thfingertoA(5thposition)

Thereareotherkindsofshifts,mostlyvariationsorcombinationsofclassicalorromanticshifts.

MusiciansTip
Sohowdoviolinistsdecidewhichkindofshifttouse?Itreallycomesdowntotheirpersonalinterpretation how
theywantconnectthenotesintheflowofthemelody.Agoodwaytoapproachthisistosingthepassageyouare
workingon.Doesitsoundmorenaturalwithacleanstepbetweennotesoranaudibleslide?Iliketolistento
recordingsofthegreatviolinists.Theirconnectingshiftsandslidesarepartofthemusicandnotallthesame:they
usenuancesofshape,intensityandspeedtobuildandilluminatetheiruniquemusicalinterpretations.

Fingerboardmaps
Belowarethefingerboardmapsfor3rdposition,showingthenoteswithoutaccidentals i.e.nosharpsorflats.
Themapswillhelpyoutomemorisethebasicfingerpatternsof3rdposition.Alsotaketimetolearnand
memoriseadjacentnotes thatarenexttoeachotheronotherstrings.

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3rd position - A and E strings

DandAstrings

The music - positions and shifting p3

G and D strings

Additionalresourcesandlinks:
KurtSassmannshaus'sViolinMasterclasswebsitehasexcellentsectionsonshiftingandotherviolintechniques,
withfreeaccesstodemonstrationvideosandmuchmore.Gotohttp://www.violinmasterclass.com/shifting.php
forshifting.

For more tips, videos and resources, visit www.teachsuzukiviolin.com

The music - positions and shifting p4

2010 John Berger